Unravel Me | Arrow [ COMPLETED ]

chapter one

Cali squeezed his hand. Her eyes glittered with unshed tears. Tommy blinked rapidly, hoping to prevent himself from crying. He was Tommy Merlyn. The media would have a field day if they found him crying with his sister in some restaurant.

He tugged on Cali's hand. "Come on. We're gonna go get some ice-cream."

Cali laughed, the sound sharp and sudden. "Yeah," she said, sniffing slightly and gathering herself. "Yeah, that sounds fantastic. I paid for lunch, so you've got the ice-cream."

Tommy winked at her. "I don't know bub, ice-cream could break the bank. Maybe we shouldn't, I mean, we need the money."

Cali hit him. "Thomas Merlyn, you are going to  buy me a double scoop of chocolate fudge ice-cream or I will make sure the police never find your body."

Tommy saluted her. "Yes ma'am."

. . .

Cali hummed in delight as she crammed another spoonful of ice-cream into her mouth. Tommy walked beside her, focused on his own cool dessert. Cali eyed him. "I don't know how you can eat that and enjoy it," she said, nose scrunched up in distaste.

Tommy frowned down at his mint and strawberry ice-cream. "It tastes amazing!" He said defensively. "You just don't appreciate good food."

"Tommy, it's disgusting."

"Well...you're disgusting."

"Take that back!"

"Take back what you said about my ice-cream!"

Cali shook her head and devoured another bite of her superior dessert. "You're no brother of mine," she said, mock angry. Tommy spluttered beside her, stumbling over excuses and insults and some sort of offended noise that sounded like he was choking on something. His dignity probably.

A cell phone ringing interrupted the playful moment, and Tommy shot Cali an apologetic look as he pulled his mobile out. "It's Thea," he explained, answering the call and holding the phone to his ear. "Hello your majesty! How may I be of service-"

His face went slack.

Cali immediately reached for him, abandoning her ice-cream in the nearest bin. "Tommy?" She touched his arm, and he jerked, but he never responded to her. "Hey, Tommy, what's wrong? Is Thea okay?"

Tommy swallowed. "Yeah, Thea. We'll be there as soon as we can. Yeah. Alright, thanks for letting me know. I, uh, I guess we'll see. Bye."

He hung up, turning his blank stare on his sister. Cali shook him lightly. "What is happening?!"

"Cali." Her name was a whisper, Tommy's eyes wide and stunned and pained. "Cali, bub, we have to get to Starling Hospital, okay? I'm going to call for a ride."

Cali didn't let him go. "Tommy, tell me what's going on. Why are we going to the hospital? Is Thea okay?"

"Thea's fine, sis."

"Then why are we going to the hospital?"

Tommy looked down, jaw clenching and unclenching. His voice was cracked and fragile when he said, "They found Oliver. He's alive."

Cali reared back, her hand immediately going to cover her mouth as she let out a cry of surprise. Tommy stared down at the ground, hand tightening around the cup of ice-cream. Oliver Queen, Starling City's beloved playboy, had returned. He'd come back. Tommy's best friend was back.

Oliver Queen had returned to them, and Tommy was almost afraid of what that meant.

. . .